Playing Night Golf: The Complete Guide

Meet Jake

Jake was a competitive golfer for over a decade dating back to the days of being the Captain of his high school golf team. He has played more than 200 courses across 32 different states in the US. Now semi-retired, Jake continues to golf 3-4 days a week with a current 2 handicap, gives golf lessons to his friends and family, and provides a wealth of knowledge to Golf Circuit from his competitive playing days. Jake combines practical expertise with technical knowledge to create golfing strategies and training techniques for both beginners and scratch golfers.

Are you considering playing night golf? While it may seem unusual at first, long-time golfers swear by dark-night golf!

With glow-in-the-dark or stadium-light courses, golfers can enjoy high-quality games at night.

You’ll need to invest in the glow-in-the-dark golf balls, headlamps, flashlights, and glowsticks. While there is a slight learning curve, you’ll quickly adjust to this new and exciting style of play.

Read on to learn more about how night golf works, what equipment you’ll need, and why you may want to join this new golfing trend.

What Are the different Types of Night Golf?

Many golfers have a lot of fun playing night golf. While some logistics may vary, most rules are the same as in a regular golf game. Plus, with night golf, you don’t have to worry about ending the game before the sun sets.

So, what are the different categories of night golf?

Glow in the Dark

Glow-in-the-dark courses use LED lighting to highlight various parts of the course.

These courses will outline the greens, tee boxes, flagsticks, and any hazards to light up the course for their nighttime players.

Golfers may also use glow-in-the-dark golf balls to make their play easier. In many night golf courses, the holes are far bigger than regulation size to make scoring easier.

Stadium Lights

Stadium lights are just that! Large posts are spread across the course, lighting it up like a baseball stadium. With this type of playing field, golfers will have no trouble navigating the course since the entire property is lit up.

Golfers can use regular balls if they want, and the holes are generally regulation size.

Why Should You Play Night Golf?

Night golf is ideal for busy professionals who don’t have time to play during the day.

With night golf, you won’t have to wait till the weekend to enjoy a quick game. Instead, you can go home, unwind, and stroll onto the course around 9 pm, refreshed and ready for an entertaining game.

Plus, unlike day golf, you won’t have to sweat under the hot sun, unless you’re in the south during summer. This style of golf is perfect for those sweltering summer days when you don’t want to step out of your house.

It often has a more relaxed atmosphere that lets players unwind and enjoy the game in a fun, new way.

What Equipment Do You Need To Play Night Golf?

If you’re going to play night golf, you’ll need to grab some additional equipment.

Glow-in-the-Dark Golf Balls

The first thing you’ll need is glow-in-the-dark golf balls.

These come in various types, so you’ll definitely have a wide selection to choose from. This is incredibly important because you need the balls to glow so you can hit them on a dark course.

There are three types of balls: glow stick golf balls, LED golf balls, and UV-powered golf balls. You’ll want to pick a ball that offers long distances without compromising on spin or feel.

Explore your options depending on the course you’re playing at and the balls you have access to.

GPS Watch

A GPS watch will help you, but isn’t necessary, keep track of how far your ball is from the hole. When you’re playing night golf, a device like the GolfBuddy Voice 2 is essential to your game.

It comes preloaded with over 40 thousand courses, not to mention a host of other features, including voice guidance, a long battery life, and multi-lingual options.

Headlamps

Although they may not be comfortable, headlamps can help your game when you’re playing night golf.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re trying to avoid stepping into a bunker, sandpit, or water; a headlamp will drastically improve your vision.

While many golfers rely on flashlights to do the same, headlamps offer far more range and longer swings.

Glow Sticks

Having ample glow sticks never hurts when you’re playing golf at night!

You can use these to mark flagsticks, roughs, greens, fairways, holes, and any other parts of the golf course that need light.

While these can be an added expense, glow sticks will maximize your golfing experience. You’ll need at least a dozen around the green and each of the fairways and a few sprinkled around the holes and flagsticks.

How To Play night golf?

Night golf is a huge change from day golf, and newbies will need some time to adjust. Luckily there are a few tips that can help you make the transition easier.

1. Proper Equipment

Carrying your glow sticks or headlamps can make a world of difference when it’s your first time on a night golf course. This will help you aim better, avoid obstacles, and find errant tee shots quickly.

2. Course Layout

When you can’t see the course clearly, it can help make a mental map of the layout. Studying how the course is designed before you start your match will help you avoid major obstacles.

3. Yardage

Glow-in-the-dark balls travel shorter distances than regular golf balls. There may also be some rollout or a difference in the spin. Adjust your yardage and keep in mind that you may experience more difficulty holding onto the green.

4. Walk

It’s always a good idea to walk the course and get some exercise in, but that’s especially true at night. Power carts often don’t have headlights and may be dangerous to drive on a night golf course. If you don’t have comfortable walking shoes, we’ve written a guide on the best walking shoes in 2023.

5. Putting

When you first step foot onto the course, focus all your attention on practicing your putting.

Between the dim lights and sharp shadows, you’ll find it difficult to get a read on the course. Learning how to put on the green at night should be the priority for any new player.

Which Are the Best Night Golf Courses?

Night golf courses are popular across the world.

All of them are built to the highest professional standards, with a complete set of amenities similar to any luxury golf course. Some of the best night golf courses in the world include the following:

You’ll notice that many of these courses are in hot areas, which adds to their popularity as golfers prefer the cool nighttime playing to the harsh daytime sun.

Final Thoughts

Playing golf at night is a great way to unwind after a busy day. While you will need to buy some special equipment, it’s all worth it when you knock out an amazing game!

Nighttime golf does come with a slight learning curve. However, once you unlock this new level of golf play, you’ll be able to engage in a whole new style of play! Isn’t that exciting?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Do night golf courses use real grass?

Night golf courses use real grass. Most of them function as regular golf courses during the day, which means the grass is watered and cut regularly. So rest assured, you’ll be able to play off real grass and enjoy the same textured feeling throughout your game.

What is the yardage for a night golf course?

Since night golf courses rely on having a large number of lights illuminating the course, most have short yardages.

What do you need to play night golf?

If you want to play golf at night, you’ll need to invest in glow-in-the-dark golf balls, a flashlight, headlamps, and glow sticks. You should also bring your full range of clubs and other equipment you normally use.

Playing Night Golf: The Complete Guide

Meet Jake